Press

‘Bad Rabbit’ Ransomware Strikes in Ukraine, Russia

In a similar outbreak to both WannaCry and Petya from earlier this year, it appears a new strain of ransomware known as “Bad Rabbit” has been found spreading in the Ukraine, Russia and elsewhere.

Bad Rabbit encrypts the contents of a computer and asks for a payment of 0.05 bitcoins, or about $280.

As reported by multiple news outlets, the ransomware has so far affected systems at three Russian websites, an airport in Ukraine and an underground railway in the capital city, Kiev.

Ukraine continues to remain in the spotlight as the cyber canary in the coal mine. Russia often uses the Ukraine to test before launching global scale attacks. The net? What happens in the Ukraine does not usually stay in the Ukraine for long.

Ransomware continues to be a major attack vector for cyber criminals. Carbon Black research recently found that, from 2016 to 2017, there has been a 2,502% increase in the sale of ransomware on the dark web. This increase is largely due to a simple economic principle – supply and demand. Cyber criminals are increasingly seeing opportunities to enter the market and looking to make a quick buck via one of the many ransomware offerings available via illicit economies. In addition, a basic appeal of ransomware is simple: it’s turnkey. Unlike many other forms of cyberattacks, ransomware can be quickly and brainlessly deployed with a high probability of profit.

For more information about the rise of ransomware, and what you can do about Bad Rabbit, check out the Ransomware Epidemic: Stop Bad Rabbit In Its Tracks webcast hosted by Rick McElory, Security Strategist at Carbon Black.